


A quest for treasure

by BlaCkreed4



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Pirates, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-25 13:51:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlaCkreed4/pseuds/BlaCkreed4
Summary: A crew of pirates explores an archipelago of strange islands, looking for a mysterious treasure.





	1. Wind Rose Island

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an Italian summer challenge by Lande di Fandom. I've chosen to use the islands' names as prompts (Rosa dei Venti for the first chapter).
> 
> This is the beginning of the journey. Who are our heroes and why are they sailing?

Wind Rose Island: a nice strip of land in the southern Atlantic Ocean, near the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America. It owed its name to the fact that it was always windy: there has  always been a nice sea breeze during the day and a land breeze during the night. The first made it easy for ships to set out, the second to heave.

For those reasons the island had soon become a pirate haven, where criminals from around the world could safely rest in between hunts, spending all of their money in alcohol and sex.

Storm season was coming, therefore only a handful of the most brave men formed new crews to sail, while everyone else settled on the safer land; nobody wanted to meet a cyclone at sea after all.

One of those fearless men was Captain Laurens Heymans, an arrogant Dutch who had become a pirate for adventure and the possibility to get rich. He was a tall and well-built man, with long black hair and blue eyes, who always bragged about his own greatness. He used to embellish all of his acts: a storm was turned into a cyclone, some shallows turned into sharp cliffs, a small vessel into a might merchant ship.

He had gathered a small crew of about twenty men, most of them loyal to him because they owed him their lives for saving them from the gallows. Between them the most devoted was Tristan Smith, a calm and expert sailor who had tried to get some money to help his now late mother. He had been arrested right on her deathbed, despite all of his efforts he didn’t make it on time to buy her some medicine. His grey eyes were often sad when he was looking at the sea, his blond hair fluttering in the wind.

The French Aurèle Blanc had joined Heymans’s crew in order to escape his debts with the island’s brothel, of which he was a regular customer. He had been a soldier, extremely good at fencing but too ambitious to follow orders. His vanity and good looks made it easy for him to get in debts with every woman he met, promising them the world only to take their money and run away.

The Captain had enlisted the dumb giant Luken Mendoza and his scrawny but smart companion Markel Salazar, the only person Luken got orders from. The two Basques were looking for fortune, and Markel’s ability with numbers made it easy for him to become the ship’s treasurer.

The Magpie, a three masts vessel of medium size, was ready to sail. It had been stocked up with food and water supplies, a lot of alcohol and everything else the pirates might need on their voyage.

As soon as the crew had gathered on it, it set out towards an archipelago of small islands. Captain Heymans had heard that there was a huge treasure hidden in one of them and he was determined to find it.


	2. Palm Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Magpie have reached the first island of the archipelago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola delle Palme

It took them a few days to reach the first island: Palm Island. That small piece of land in the middle of the ocean was sandy and filled with palms, the only trees that grew on it. There was hardly any fresh water on it, but the rain allowed the palms to live and prosper; they produced a lot of coconuts.

The pirates anchored in a small bay and a group disembarked to explore it.

Captain Heymans deputed Smith, his second in command, to set the ship for the night while he guided the exploration.

They marched into the underbrush, cutting it with their swords to make it easier to walk and to set a path back. The palms were very close one to the other, so they often had to bypass a group because it was impossible to go through them.

The more they moved on the thicker the trees were; the forest was getting more lively: birds chirped on the pirates’ heads, small animals rustled the bushes’ leaves, insects buzzed all around them.

They marched for a couple of hours before coming out of that forest. They looked in front of them, swearing in delusion: they had crossed the whole island and they were facing the ocean again.

As they walked back, they shot some animals for the fun of it, picking them up to eat them for dinner. That activity lifted their moods, making them let off some steam.

When they reached the beach from which they had started their exploration, they decided to get some coconuts from the palms. Coconut milk was tasty and refreshing and they definitely needed it, but the palms where high and dangerous to climb.

-There is no way I will risk my life like this.- Blanc complained.

-Shooting them down is out of question, we’d probably end up ruining them without getting them down.- Heymans noted.

-We should shake them.- Luken unexpectedly proposed.

Everyone looked at him for an explanation, but since he wasn’t giving any the captain questioned him.

-Why?-

-When I was a kid I used to shake apples down the apple tree at home.- the Basque simply answered.

-But it’s dangerous, they could fall on someone’s head.-

-I have a hard head, apples never hurt me.-

Heymans shrugged. It made sense in a way, if you stepped down to Mendoza’s stupidity. Then he got an idea.

-Maybe it would be easier to uproot one. Since you’re the stronger one here you should do it.- he ordered to Luken.

The Basque nodded and walked to the closest palm, starting to push it.

Everyone looked at him in shock, then they looked at the amused captain.

-I didn’t think he’d really try it.- he justified himself.

-He cannot make it.- Blanc declared, shaking his head.

-Do you want to bet, Frenchman?- Heymans proposed.

-Why not.- Aurèle shrugged. –A piece of eight?-

He offered his hand to the captain, who shook it.

-Deal.-

It took Mendoza just a few minutes to make the tree budge, but he needed more than half an hour to finally make it collapse.

Everyone was in awe, except for Blanc, who swore in French while paying the satisfied captain.

The pirates gathered the coconuts, then they boarded with the new food to spend the night on the ship.


	3. Cat Paw Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second island is strange and has a creepy inhabitant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola Zampa di Gatto

It took the Magpie a whole day to get in sight of the second island of that archipelago: Cat Paw Island. It was one of the strangest strips of land the pirates had even seen: during the high tide it looked like a sort of rounded triangle, but during the low tide some very dangerous rocky formations emerged on two sides, stretching out like a cat’s claws.

Heymans’s crew was lucky enough to see them before shipwrecking, so they managed to sail around them and anchor safely on the only sandy side of the island.

It was sunset already, therefore they decided to spend the night there. They had noticed a small shanty at the edge of the forest beside the beach and a numerous group of men had disembarked to “politely question” the inhabitants about the treasure they were looking for.

As soon as their dinghies were safely ashore, a woman came out of the shack. She didn’t look old, but she didn’t seem young either; her ebony skin was covered in mysterious white marks, her dirty hair was made of dreadlocks, her body was hidden by rags held together by a piece of rope.

She limped towards them, her hand stretched out like a beggar’s.

-You pay me for stay.- she said in a rasping voice, a thick foreign accent explaining her broken English.

The crew looked at her in disgust.

-Why should we?- the captain asked with arrogance.

The woman’s white eyes rose into his.

-I am witch. This my home. You pay me or I curse you.-

Many men, despite their swearing habit, crossed themselves. Heymans himself paled.

-What do you want?- he hesitantly asked.

-Blood of everyone.-

The woman reached for a small bowl and a bone knife inside her rags, handing them towards the captain.

-What?! No way!-

The man took a step back.

-I curse you!-

The witch rose her skinny arms to the sky, chanting in Creole. Dark clouds gathered in the sky covering the evening stars, the sea lit up with fluorescent green dots, ominous sounds of animals reached them from the forest.

-Wait! We’ll do it!-

Heymans snatched the knife from her and quickly cut himself. He cussed, drops of blood falling inside the bowl that the woman held underneath his hand.

-Curse no can stop. I fix after.- she explained.

The Captain bandaged himself with an handkerchief, ordering to his men to give the witch what she wanted.

They didn’t need to be told twice, too scared of her to refuse. They formed a line in front of her and passed each other the knife.

The bowl was almost full of their blood when the last pirate had paid his part. The witch smelled it, then she dipped a finger in it and tasted it. Satisfied, she raised the bowl to the sky and chanted some more in her language.

When she finished she tried to translate it in English as best as she could.

-You wander, no find what you look. Last island you walk, you find.-

With that curse weighting on their hearts, the men rowed back to the waiting Magpie; they were too scared to explore the island.


	4. Skull Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This next island is the creepiest the pirates have ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola del Teschio

The pirates departed as soon as the sun began to rise. They were still scared and most of them had been unable to sleep. In just a few hours they sighted another island; since they wanted to rest they decided to get there as soon as possible.

While approaching it, it looked to them that is was getting eerie; they realized that they were facing Skull Island. After the last encounter it was the last place they wanted to be, but they were too tired to keep sailing. Besides, the witch had been way more scary.

That ominous island owed its name to a natural oddity: the mountain that made it had two big, roundish and dark caves near one another that surmounted a large waterfall. The composition looked like two empty eyes over a toothy mouth, especially from the rocky beach beneath it.

After a proper rest, Captain Heymans decided to explore the island because he had heard that there treasure hidden in plain sight; he was sure that the riddle meant that the caves held the treasure.

He selected a small group of men, including the treasurer Salazar, and went ashore.

Their march through the forest and up the side of the mountain was slowed down by the weak Basque, who was wheezing. After some time he ordered to his companion Mendoza to carry him, getting heavily mocked by the other pirates. It was embarrassing, but he preferred being made fun of than being sick.

They got sensibly faster and reached the first cave in a few hours. Heymans lit a torch and entered, followed by his men.

Despite the wide opening, the cave quickly narrowed: the men were forced to proceed in a single file and therefore they lit more torches in order to see where they were going. Even Salazar had to walk again because Mendoza had to lean over in some spots.

The pirates scared a group of bats that flew away from the fire while shrieking. Markel made an unmanly sound when one animal almost hit his face, so he was mocked again.

-It’s getting wider! I can see something sparkly!-

As soon as the captain had spoke everyone rushed forward. They almost tripped on one another, swearing and risking to burn each other.

When they had calmed down, they looked around in awe: the huge cave they were into was covered from floor to ceiling with white gemstones.

-Diamonds! We’re rich!- someone exclaimed, making the others cheer.

-Wait! Let’s check it! Treasurer, it’s your job.- Heymans interrupted them.

Salazar, who was still in awe, pulled himself together and walked to the nearest wall. He took his knife and hit a gemstone, which didn’t scratch. He then pulled a rock hammer from his belt pocket and hit it again. It shattered.

-It’s quartz. It’s worth almost nothing.- he declared in a disappointed tone of voice.

Everyone groaned.

-Carve some up, we can at least try to scam someone.- the captain ordered.

Salazar filled a purse with the most good looking shards, then the pirates headed back to their ship. In the daylight they noticed that the gems weren’t even white, but pale pink. They gave the purse to Blanc, who happily talked about how women would love it.


	5. Lil' Jib Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This next island doesn't look promising, but the Magpie stops anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola Fiocchetto

The disappointment didn’t leave the crew for a while. They had spent quite a bit of energy and time to reach the caves only to find something completely useless. They set sail towards the next island, which they reached the next day.

Lil’ Jib Island was a very small piece of land shaped like a jib. It was rocky and almost completely bare, except for some sparse trees and the few animals that lived on it.

Captain Heymans ordered to his second in command, Smith, to explore it with a group of men.

While they were gone, the pirates that remained on the Magpie set the ship for a brief stay: they folded the sails, they firmly anchored and they tidied up a bit under the Dutch’s supervision.

Because of his weakness, Salazar was designated to mop the deck. He slowly moved towards the captain’s cabin door and he nonchalantly entered it after a quick glance around.

Unfortunately for him, he failed to notice that the captain himself was looking in his direction when he closed the door behind himself.

Heymans followed the treasurer, silently walking in his own cabin. The Basque was suspicious and he never trusted him, he wanted to check on him.

Salazar was rummaging through the ship’s savings. He pocketed a handful of small coins, then he closed the money box and put it back where it belonged in a drawer.

Behind his back, the Captain positioned himself in front of the door, grinning evilly and crossing his arms on his chest.

When the treasurer turned around he gasped and jumped in fear, almost tripping on his own feet. He visibly paled, sweating in guilt.

-Ca-captain!-

-Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little thieving rat.-

The Basque muttered some denials and excuses, but he squeaked in fear when Heymans marched towards him and trapped him against the desk.

-What would the others do if they knew their treasurer robbed them, I wonder?- Laurens chimed in. –I think a lynching is due, don’t you?-

-It’s... it’s your word against mine!- Markel nervously replied.

-Oh yes, it is. And do you know how we solve this kind of accuse? In a fair, old fashioned duel. Are you sure you could beat me in a sword fight?-

The Basque frightened expression as he thought of a solution made the captain’s grin widen.

-What do you want?- Salazar asked in defeat.

-Every time you steal something I want two thirds of it.- Heymans promptly answered. – _Every time_.- he threateningly stressed.

-But...!-

Markel couldn’t finish his sentence, the captain’s strong hands closed around his neck. He gasped for air.

-I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught what you were saying.-

The Basque quickly nodded and Laurens let him go.

-Good. Let’s see if you understood our agreement.- the latter said, gesturing the other to give him what he wanted.

Salazar grinded his teeth, but he picked the coins and counted them before placing most of them on Heymans’s hand.

The Dutch grinned and put the money in one of his pockets, then he patted Markel’s shoulder.

-We’re going to get along _very_ well.-

They walked back out and greeted the returning men, cheering at the sight of turtles. They made a great soup!


	6. Penguin Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when pirates and penguins meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola Pinguino

The Magpie sailed south for a few days in order to reach the coldest island before it got too cold to reach it safely.

Penguin Island’s name was obviously chosen for the huge penguin colony that inhabited its rocky shore. There wasn’t much else on it, even grass had a hard time growing in such a cold climate, therefore there was just some moss to give a hint of colour on the otherwise completely grey-brownish island.

The pirates could hear the birds’ honking as soon as they could see them. They were small and chubby, wobbling around on the beach and flapping their useless wings. They would have been cute if it wasn’t for their aggressive attitude and face: the yellow stripes on their red eyes and the pointy feathers on their head made them look always angry.

The noise only got louder when the ship approached the land, rows of penguins tripping on each other on the rocks in order to scream at it. The most reckless ones swam to the Magpie to peck at its sides.

The pirates complained for the noise and laughed at the penguins’ attempts at attacking them.

-Captain, I don’t think there’s any treasure here. We should leave.- Smith suggested.

-Yes, but we have travelled for a while, we need fresh water. Besides, I think it’d be fun to kill some, don’t you?-

Heymans announced his plan to the men, who cheered. They drew lots in order to pick the unlucky ones who had to stay aboard, then the rest took the dinghies and went ashore.

The penguins tried to attack them, but the men shot and hit them with their swords.

The pirates laughed and boosted each other to kill as many of them as they could, massacring every bird that was close enough.

The beach was painted red with blood, countless bodies laying at the men’s feet.

-Weren’t we going to hunt them for meat?- Smith asked, frowning in disapproval.

He hadn’t killed a single penguin since his companions were doing it way too well.

-It’s what we’re doing!- Heymans replied.

-We can’t even eat this much meat.- the second in command complained.

-Oh come on Tristan, don’t be a killjoy! We’re having fun!-

The captain laughed, his sword dripping fresh blood like everyone else’s around him.

Smith sighed in resignation. He didn’t like that senseless cruelty, but he couldn’t stop them. He walked to the top of a hill to look for water, but from up there he could see that the island was just rocks and moss. He returned to his companions.

Soon enough the penguins were all running or swimming away and the pirates stopped their carnage. They picked the biggest and fattest penguins to bring on board in order to cook and eat them, leaving all the rest to rot on the beach.

The noise was way lower, but it hadn’t disappeared completely; the remaining birds had simply stopped screaming at them and had started mourning their fallen companions.

The pirates had a great time that evening, feasting with penguin meat and rum all night and sleeping for most of the next day because of the hangover.


	7. Atoll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This island is a green heaven, perfect for replenishing the Magpie's water supplies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompr: Atollo

It took them some days of sailing north to reach land again.

The Atoll was a round island covered in vegetation. Its sandy beaches didn’t offer any protection from bad weather, on the contrary they could be really dangerous because of the shallows surrounding them.

The pirates didn’t have any choice though, their water reserve was too low and they risked to drain them before reaching another island. Besides, if the vegetation was that luxuriant it meant there was a lot of fresh water.

The captain ordered everyone to get on land to help refilling the barrels, except for a small group that had the duty to tend to the ship.

Their dinghies were full with men and barrels and they went ashore, carefully avoiding the shallows.

Once on land, the strongest men guided their companions inside the forest, cutting a path through the plants.

There were many animals that hid from them, rustling the leaves all around the pirates while running or flying away. There were a lot of birds cackling above them, many hisses and growls at their sides, but they clearly were more scared than aggressive. The only creatures that dared go near them were the ever-present insects that crawled on their boots or fell on their hats or flew in their faces.

The men complained about it, especially when they found themselves surrounded by mosquitoes that bit them everywhere they could reach.

-Stop whining like pussies! Are you the most fearsome men of this part of the world or not?- Heymans scolded them.

The crew kept muttering, but they were careful not to get heard by him.

It took them some itchy hours in order to get out of the forest, in front of a big lake.

They rushed to the crystal clear water, drinking as much as they wanted.

The captain had to remind them to fill the barrels because many of them were already taking their boots off to take a bath.

Smith coordinated the crew in order to get the kegs full of water as soon as possible, then he guarded them while his companions swam happily and splashed each other.

When they were satisfied, Tristan quickly washed himself too.

It was getting late, so they took the barrels on and marched back to the beach. It was easier than before thanks to the path they had made through the plants, even if the mosquitoes followed them for a long time.

They loaded the barrels on the dinghies and rowed with extreme care to the Magpie, where the group that was left there cheered at the sight of all that water.

The latter were tasked with hunting, which they happily complied.

They crept into the forest, shooting at every animal unlucky enough to be in sight.

Since it was getting dark quickly they couldn’t kill as many preys as they wanted, but they came back with a few big birds and rabbit-like rodents.

The crew roasted them and ate all together, cheering for their luck.


	8. Starfish Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This new island looks more like a rock then an island, at least when there's the high tide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola Stella Marina

Replenishing their water supplies had been the best move since they would have died of thirst otherwise. They wandered for days in search of one of the last islands of the archipelago.

They were about to turn around and go back to the Atoll when they finally sighted land.

To be honest Starfish Island was more a dark rock than an actual island, especially during the high tide. It was completely bare except for the limpets that encrusted the lowest part.

-Is this really an island? We would not even fit on it.- Blanc asked, disappointed.

-Yes. We just have to wait for the low tide to disembark.- Salazar explained.

-And why do we have to wait?- the French inquired.

-You’ll see.-

The Magpie was anchored at a certain distance from the rock called island, then they patiently waited. They took advantage of that free time to play cards or dice or to take a nap or to simply relax.

When the tide began to lower, Starfish Island was suddenly surrounded by whirlpools and strong currents.

The pirates got in their positions around on the deck and on the masts, ready to get into action in case of emergency.

Water was quickly disappearing from Starfish Island, that gradually became bigger and bigger, revealing its sharp cliffs and inner pools of ocean water. Its name was finally clear too: there were colourful starfishes everywhere on it, leaving almost no free space on the rocks.

Blanc leaned out of the bulwark to look in awe at the sea of colour in front of him. He already wanted to pick some of those animals!

When the tide stopped the currents and whirlpools disappeared, allowing the pirates to safely go ashore. Blanc insisted to be in the disembarking group.

The Captain entrusted Smith with the exploration while he studied the maps to try and find the last two islands of the archipelago.

Tristan obediently guided the men to the rocks, where they had to walk carefully in order not to slip on the starfishes.

Every now and then, Aurèle would pick one and put it in an empty purse that he had brought with him.

-We don’t have time to waste collecting starfishes.- Smith scolded him.

-Relax, my friend. This is only a rock, there is nothing to find here. We may as well take these pretty things for the ladies, no?-

The French smiled cunningly, making Tristan roll his eyes in annoyance.

-Why would they even want something like this?-

-But because they are pretty! Look at the colours! The ladies love colours. I am certain that they would love to make a fashion accessory with these!-

Blanc emphasized his words by picking a cute little pink starfish and put it on the side of his head in place of his hat. He even fluttered his eyelashes.

-I look so pretty!- he rather badly mimicked a female voice.

Smith snorted and shook his head.

-Just don’t slow us down.- he ordered him.

Aurèle bowed to him and obeyed.

He had been right, thought, that place was just a mere rock with nothing on it other than starfishes.


	9. Banana Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being attacked by a Royal Navy flagship the pirates need to fix the Magpie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Isola Banana

They were lucky to still be alive and free. They hadn’t been when they had run into a Royal Navy flagship that was way bigger and definitely better armed than the Magpie.

They had immediately run away, but the other ship had chased them for a while, shooting at them threateningly. Some cannonballs had hit the pirate’s vessel, tearing some sails, many ropes and damaging the masts and the deck.

The pirates had thought they were doomed, but then they had found some shallows that were easily navigable for their small ship but almost impossible for the massive flagship; they had managed to leave their enemies behind.

They hadn’t stopped there, though, in fear of being found again. They had reached a wide strip of sand called Banana Island because of its curved shape.

They had entered the big and protected bay and they had anchored to evaluate the damage.

They had been lucky indeed: there was nothing they couldn’t fix in a couple of days with the materials they already had, therefore the captain had decided to take advantage of the forced break to careen the ship.

Every man, Heymans included, got to work hard to fix the damages. The sails were mended, the broken ropes were replaced with new ones, the deck and masts were repaired. After two full days of work, the Magpie was as good as new.

At that point, the ship was dragged ashore and the worst part of being a sailor began: they had to carefully incline the Magpie and tie it to many palms in order to keep it still, then they could careen its hull first on one side, then they would reverse the inclination and do the other side.

They scratched away all the barnacles that had clung to the wood with knives and sharp pieces of metal, taking turns to rest and watch over the ropes that kept the ship in position.

It was a long and boring job under the scorching sun, therefore a lot of men complained about the effort and the heat, and swore while working.

It took them way more time than the repairs, but after a few days the hull was completely clean.

They had found some rotten or damaged spots all over the hull, so their next step was to fix them. They removed the wood that was in a too bad state, replacing it with new one.

The hammering and nailing was noisy and went on for another whole day.

After that the ship was finally ready to sail again.

The men carefully made it stand straight, then they set it afloat again.

Since none of them had saved their energy in order to finish faster, the captain had decided to take a couple of days of relax; they had all earned it. Besides, the bay was well protected and the island was isolated enough to allow them to properly rest.

In that time the captain studied his maps to locate the last island, where he was sure they would finally find the treasure they had been looking for since the start of their journey.


	10. Red Cross Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does the last island really hide a treasure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Croce Rossa

It had been a long journey, with ups and downs, but they had finally reached their final destination: Red Cross Island.

That piece of land owed its name to the red sand that completely covered it and to its X shape. It wasn’t very fertile, but a few palms and bushes grew in its inner part. Because of this the only animals that lived on it were some sea birds and tiny red crabs.

Captain Heymans guided a group of men ashore to explore the island.

They soon found some carvings in a rock near the bay were they had heaved the Magpie. They got excited, trying to figure out what it meant. It looked like a map of the island, with a dotted line that connected the place where they went (represented by a picture of the rock itself) and two palms shaped like and X.

The captain immediately called for Salazar, who calculated each step they would have to take.

Heymans ordered his men to take the shovels, then he let the treasurer guide them to their destination.

It didn’t take long since the island wasn’t that big, and they safely reached the crossing palms.

They promptly started to dig underneath them, encouraging each other; those of them that didn’t have a shovel used their hands to move the sand away, preventing it from falling back into the hole they were creating.

After a couple of frantic hours they unearthed a chest: it was made of wood, with metal refinements and a huge, rusty lock. It had once been very resistant, but the time and the weather had weakened it; it took Heymans just one gunshot to blast it away.

He opened the chest and revealed its content: golden coins, precious gems, jewels... a lot of extremely valuable things.

Everyone cheered, taking a look at that treasure: they were rich!

They closed the chest and brought it back to the Magpie, where they were greeted with happy shouts and whistles.

-We’re rich! We’re rich!- they chanted.

-Didn’t the witch say that we would find what we were looking for on the last island we’d walk on?- Smith reminded everyone.

A frightened silence fell on the ship.

-Why did you have to say that and ruin everything?- Heymans scolded him.

-I’m sorry.- Tristan muttered.

But it was too late: all of the excitement were gone and had been replaced by fear. Some of the men proposed to stay there, their superstition warning them about the dangers of the curse that been cast on them.

-We’re doomed!- someone cried.

-No, we’re not!- the captain angrily replied. –We’re doomed if we stay here! There’s nothing but sand, no real food, no fresh water! We’ll sail back home!-

-But we won’t reach it! The curse will befell on us!-

-Would you rather die here of thirst and hunger?- Heymans made a pause to let everyone understand his words. –We have nothing to gain if we stay here, but a lot to lose. I promise I’ll bring you home safely!- he added.

The men muttered for some minutes, discussing the decision. The captain was right, their only possibility was to follow him.

Even if they were terrified they set sail towards Wind Rose Island and towards some heavy black clouds that were erratically crossed by lightning.

They never arrived.


End file.
